ALBEMARLE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION COMMUNITY MEETING IN JUNE

 

 

Update: The Zoom link is https://zoom.us/j/93103317498?pwd=ck4xTTdJL2lRbGVTOEhmMldDMVFwZz09.

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Albemarle Neighborhood Association Community Meeting

Thursday, June 10th, 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

 

The Albemarle Neighborhood Association will discuss issues currently facing our neighborhood at a Zoom meeting next week.

 
All Kensington residents are invited to attend this free meeting, which will take place on Thursday, June 10th, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

 

Neighborhood Coordination Officer Karol Smiarowski of the 66th Police Precinct will be at the meeting.

Possible topics include:

• pedestrian and bicyclist safety,
• drag racing on Ocean Parkway and Albemarle Road,
• e-bike users who speed and ride on sidewalks,
• litter and the lack of public litter baskets, and
  
• loss of some parking spaces due to Citi Bike stations and outdoor restaurant space.

 

If you'd like to attend the meeting, send an e-mail to Jannette at jannette.katz@gmail.com and she'll send you the Zoom link.

About Albemarle Neighborhood Association

Albemarle Neighborhood Association (ANA) is the oldest neighborhood association in Brooklyn. Since its founding in 1973, it has worked to advance Kensington's quality of life.

Its meetings are open to the public and free. They provide a place for Kensington's residents to address safety, security, and quality of life issues.

 

ANA helps create a safe and stable neighborhood by working closely with neighborhood residents, city agencies, and elected officials to address key issues.

SAFETY UPDATE FOR ALBEMARLE ROAD BY BRAD LANDER

Albemarle Neighborhood Association Community Meeting

Thursday, March 19th, 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

The Albemarle Neighborhood Association (ANA) will open its spring 2015 season of community meetings at the Flatbush Jewish Center, with City Councilmember Brad Lander as guest speaker.

The focus of his presentation will be issues of importance to our neighborhood, including an update on the Albemarle Road speed humps. Approved by the Department of Transportation in December 2013, the two speed humps (humps, not bumps) will be placed between McDonald Avenue and Ocean Parkway to make speeding drivers slow down.

Read about the full safety plan for Albemarle Road at Albemarle Activism Brings about Action on Improving Safety.

Do you have any other issues you'd like Councilmember Lander and/or ANA to address?

Foodtown and the ANA will provide light refreshments for free at the meeting.

All of ANA's community meetings are free and open to the public.

Meeting location

Flatbush & Shaare Torah Jewish Center

327 E. 5th Street
at the corner of Church Avenue
Kensington, Brooklyn

A wheelchair-accessible entrance is on the ground floor of Flatbush Jewish Center.

PETITION TO IMPROVE TRAFFIC CONDITIONS NEAR P.S. 230

An online petition to improve traffic conditions around P.S. 230 calls for

• installing better school crossing signage,
• creating speed bumps on the surrounding side streets, and
• adding more school crossing guards.

Please sign the petition. Getting motorists to drive more slowly and cautiously can benefit children and people of all ages and abilities who travel in that vicinity on foot, on a bicycle, and in or on a motorized vehicle.

The petition is addressed to Department of Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg. Copies will also be delivered to our City Councilmember Brad Lander, our New York State Assemblymember Jim Brennan, and Mayor Bill de Blasio. Neighborhood parent Tara Schad posted the petition.

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I am writing to express my outrage at the hazardous traffic conditions surrounding both the upper school (2nd - 5th grade) building and the lower school (pre-k - 1st grade) buildings of PS 230K in Kensington, Brooklyn.  We have repeatedly reached out to NYC DOT for help addressing the dangers posed by traffic near our school.  You have failed to address our concerns or respond in any way, leaving our community frustrated. 

We submitted formal requests for appropriate signage around our school to alert traffic to the presence of young children (April 21, 2014:DOT-242331-H7R7, DOT-243780-F1C1,DOT-242331-H7E7). 

We formally requested more crossing guards to protect our young school children at the hazardous intersections of McDonald Ave and Albemarle Rd.  We requested speed bumps on the side streets surrounding our school buildings to inhibit drivers from approaching the school buildings at hazardous speeds.  All these requests have been ignored.

PS 230K is a large school (1,400 students) and with new rezoning effective next 2015/2016 academic year, our student population will increase.  It is the Commissioner of NYC DOT's responsibility to ensure that proper signage and safety measures are in place surrounding our school to make sure our youngest citizens are protected from dangerous traffic.  Please address these safety matters immediately.

Polly Trottenberg, you have failed to address our concerns or respond in any way, leaving parents at PS 230K angry and frustrated.  We sincerely look forward to your response in addressing our needs before it is too late.

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Reminder: Tomorrow is the 311 call-in campaign about traffic safety for P.S. 130 and P.S. 230. Call 311 if you're a past, present, or future parent of a student at P.S. 130 or P.S. 230 or if you simply live in the neighborhood and want everyone to be safe, yourself included.

PHONE CALLS FOR SAFETY AROUND P.S. 230

 

Parent 311 Call-in Campaign

Friday, December 19th

Hazardous traffic conditions continue to prevail in the area around P.S. 230. Children are put at unnecessary risk by the lack of

• school crossing guards at Church and McDonald, Caton and McDonald, and Dahill and Albemarle,
• school crossing signs by the upper and lower schools, and
• speed bumps on Albemarle Road, Minna Street, and Dahill Road, and
• enforcement of speeding laws.

Call 311 on Friday, December 19th, to report unsafe street conditions around P.S. 230 and make it clear that city agencies must put an end to these hazards.

ALBEMARLE SAFETY MEASURES OKAYED BY COMMUNITY BOARD

Community Board 12's Transportation Committee voted unanimously at its public hearing last night to approve the proposed safety plan for Albemarle Road. The plan had been proposed by the New York City Department of Transportation after its staff studied Albemarle's unique traffic problems.

An hour or so later, the committee chair reported to the board that it approves of the plan. The board then voted to approve the proposal, with two board members voting against it. 

The three-pronged plan will 

• narrow the traffic lanes to encourage slower driving speeds,
• construct two speed humps to slow down traffic, and
•  post "no standing" signs for improved visibility.

Both speed humps will be installed on Albemarle, one between E. 2nd and E. 3rd and one between E. 4th and E. 5th.

"No Standing" signs have already been posted on Albemarle. One is at the southwest corner of E. 3rd Street. The other is on the northeast corner of E. 4th. The absence of a parked car at the corner improves visibility for everyone who is crossing or turning onto Albemarle Road.

ALBEMARLE ACTIVISM BRINGS ABOUT ACTION ON IMPROVING SAFETY

On Albemarle Road, from McDonald Avenue to Ocean Parkway, measures are going to be taken to improve safety, reports our City Councilmember Brad Lander. The Department of Transportation will 

• encourage slower driving speeds by narrowing the traffic lanes,
• slow down traffic by installing two speed humps, and
• improve visibility by installing "no standing" signs at the highest injury locations (which have already been added).

Brad writes to his constituents:

You asked. They listened.

The stretch of Albemarle Road in Kensington (between Ocean Parkway & McDonald Avenue) is a big safety concern for our community. Speeding is prevalent, putting pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers at risk. This year alone, there have been ten crashes on this corridor, including a two-car collision at East 2nd Street just last week.

After a year of community advocacy, I am happy to announce that New York City Department of Transportation has put forward a plan to improve safety along the street.

Thank you for speaking out, and thanks to the Department of Transportation for listening. Neighbors put safety proposals forward through Participatory Budgeting, nearly 100 neighbors filled out our Albemarle Road safety survey, and the Albemarle Neighborhood Association and Community Board 12 kept the pressure up. Together, we pushed for these changes.

The Department of Transportation’s planned improvements include narrowing lanes to encourage slower speeds, improving visibility by installing “no standing” signs at the highest injury locations (which have already been added), and installing two speed humps along the stretch.

You will be able to learn more about the plan at the January Community Board 12 meeting.

We have made big strides for safer streets throughout the district this year – from Hicks Street in Cobble Hill, to 4th Avenue in Park Slope, to Church Avenue in Kensington. I look forward to talking the next step with you at Albemarle Road.

Brad

Serving the neighborhoods of 

Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens, Park Slope,  

Windsor Terrace, 

Borough Park, and Kensington

456 5th Avenue, 3rd Floor

Brooklyn, NY 11215

718-499-1090

MOTORISTS: NO STANDING IN TWO PLACES ON ALBEMARLE

AN UPDATE IS POSTED AT "ALBEMARLE ACTIVISM BRINGS SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS"

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Less than three days after the tenth reported car crash of the year on Albemarle Road, the Department of Transportation (DOT) installed "NO STANDING Anytime" signs at two intersections on Albemarle. 

Each sign eliminates one parking space in favor of increased visibility and improved safety. The fine for a violation is $115.

One sign is on the southwest corner at E. 3rd Street. The other one is on the northeast corner at E. 4th Street, the scene of a car-ambulette collision in May.

A "NO STANDING Anytime" sign indicates that no vehicle can wait in that space or stop there to load or unload anything at the curb. Only stopping very briefly to drop off or pick up a passenger is allowed.

STRAY PIECES OF THE CAR STRUCK ON ALBEMARLE

Bits

and pieces

of this car,

collected and placed together at Albemarle Road and E. 2nd Street, where two cars collided yesterday.

AN UPDATE IS POSTED AT "ALBEMARLE ACTIVISM BRINGS SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS"

A NEIGHBORHOOD CONTINUES TO WAIT FOR HELP, AND TWO MORE CARS COLLIDE

photo courtesy of Ruth Mondol

AN UPDATE IS POSTED AT "ALBEMARLE ACTIVISM BRINGS SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS"

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The driver of the beige car in the photo above says he was driving across Albemarle Road at E. 2nd Street this afternoon when a car service driver who was speeding struck his car, crashing into the front corner on the driver's side.

Nobody was injured. The impact knocked the front bumper off the beige car and threw it down the road. The collision happened sometime before 2:30 p.m.

Today's collision shows that public safety on Albemarle Road and in the immediate vicinity continues to be a worrisome issue. People who walk, bike, and drive there have been waiting for the Department of Transportation to eliminate at least some of the danger.

Crash statistics for 2012 for the five blocks between Ocean Parkway and McDonald Avenue show fifteen crashes, with nine people injured. Ten crashes, with seven people injured, have occurred so far in 2013, with a month remaining until the end of the year.

Some might think those numbers are low. But speeding, distracted driving, failure to yield the right of way, and collisions are happening on residential streets.

Making the situation even more distressing is that the collision happened just a block away from an elementary school and a playground. Because of the proximity to the school, the speed limit is 20 miles per hour.

The Department of Transportation conducted two traffic studies of Albemarle Road, one as recently as July 2013. The first study focused on the volume of traffic; the second one focused on volume and speed.

But because the number of crashes is considered low, based on federal guidelines, Albemarle Road doesn't qualify for stop signs. The side streets have them, but they aren't effective enough on their own to prevent collisions, especially when many drivers on those side streets fail to come to a full stop.

The Department of Transportation needs to take action to make Albemarle Road safer. Possibilities for traffic-calming measures are placing "No Standing" signs near corners, removing parking spaces at intersections to improve visibility, and building speed humps.

Something needs to happen very very soon. 

TOO MUCH DANGER, TOO MANY ACCIDENTS--WHAT WILL PROTECT US?

More and more people are publicly voicing their concern about road safety in Kensington and Windsor Terrace. Ngozi Agbim died under the wheels of a truck in June as she walked across Ocean Parkway at Church Avenue. That horror heightened our collective awareness about public safety and the long, tall, local and long-distance trucks that are a constant presence in this residential area.

People are also speaking up because of Troy Martin's son being struck by the driver of an electric bike in June. (Riding electric bikes in New York City is illegal.) He and his dad were walking across Caton at McDonald, maneuvering their way around 18-wheel trucks that blocked the crosswalk as they were walking to P.S. 230 for the start of the school day.

Additional people have mobilized to plead the case of Albemarle Road as a safety hazard after an ambulette with a patient inside was struck on Albemarle Road in May--by a driver who ran a stop sign at E. 4th. The car knocked the ambulette on its side, trapping the patient inside. Nearby residents have been reporting problems--especially speeding--for years, including a collision that involved seven vehicles.

A number of other, lower-profile incidents have gotten little publicity, but people have learned about them from their neighbors, either face-to-face or via social media.

If you're one of the people noticing the deterioration of safety in the street, on the sidewalk, in the subway, on the bus, or near cars and trucks, you belong at tonight's Transportation Assembly. The assembly is part of City Council District 39's participatory budgeting program. Everyone in the district is invited to attend. Your suggestions for projects that will be beneficial to any part of the district are welcome.

Transportation Assembly

street, sidewalk, subway, bus, car, and truck safety issues 

Monday, October 21st, 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. 

Park Slope Library

431 6th Avenue at 9th Street 

RSVP

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Two other assemblies are scheduled for this week: the Bangla Assembly and the Spanish Assembly. 

Bangla Assembly 

Wednesday, October 23rd, 7:00 p.m. 

Chittagong Association of North America, 545 McDonald Avenue, between Church Avenue and Avenue C 

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Spanish Assembly 

Saturday, October 26th, 3:00 p.m. 

Fifth Avenue Committee, 621 Degraw Street, at 4th Avenue

SICK OF ACCIDENTS ON ALBEMARLE ROAD

AN UPDATE IS POSTED AT "ALBEMARLE ACTIVISM BRINGS SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS"

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People living on or near Albemarle Road--from Ocean Parkway to Dahill Road--want action taken that will immediately decrease the frequency of crashes and drastically reduce the number of injured drivers, passengers, bicyclists, and pedestrians.

Wednesday is the deadline for responding to the Albemarle Road Safety Survey, either online or on paper. To fill out the online form, read this first. If you have a paper copy, mail or fax it to City Councilmember Brad Lander's office very soon so his staff receives it by Wednesday.

In the survey, point out the intersections where you've seen problem (from Ocean Parkway to Dahill Road) and suggest solutions (installing or enhancing crosswalks; speed humps; stop signs; traffic lights; speed enforcement; other methods of slowing car speeds, such as narrowing travel lanes and extending curbs; and other).

Eveyone who is ever on Albemarle Road at any time and for any purpose is invited to fill out the survey.

Send the paper survey to

City Councilmember Brad Lander

456 5th Avenue, 3rd Floor

Brooklyn, NY 11215

phone (718) 499-1090

fax (718) 499-1997

website: http://bradlander.com

DANGEROUS DRIVING ON ALBEMARLE ROAD: YOUR IDEAS ARE NEEDED

AN UPDATE IS POSTED AT "ALBEMARLE ACTIVISM BRINGS SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS"

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Danger lurks around every corner on the five-block stretch of Albemarle Road between Ocean Parkway and McDonald Avenue. Drivers turn off Ocean Parkway and McDonald Avenue and proceed down Albemarle at speeds that justifiably worry and anger residents. Cars breeze through stop signs on the side streets to turn onto or cross Albemarle.

Too many drivers are in too much of a hurry. They're a menace to other drivers, pedestrians of all ages and abilities, and cyclists. Neighbors have been trying to get relief from this bad situation for years--something has to be done to end it.

You can help by filling out the Albemarle Road Safety Survey (http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/JSJMNDB). It should take just a minute or two to fill out.

Point out the intersections you've seen problems at (from Ocean Parkway to Dahill Road). Suggest solutions (installing or enhancing crosswalks; speed humps; stop signs; traffic lights; speed enforcement; other methods of slowing car speeds, such as narrowing travel lanes and extending curbs; and other).

Public safety and traffic-calming are popular Internet topics. You'll have a lot of websites to choose from if you'd like to read about the different solutions before you fill out the survey.

Thanks to Michael K. for the tip.

THE UNENDING BATTLE OF CAR VERSUS CAR AND CAR VERSUS PEDESTRIAN

AN UPDATE IS POSTED AT "ALBEMARLE ACTIVISM BRINGS SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS"
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Speeding cars and crash-prone intersections were on residents' minds nearly exclusively at the Community Board 12 meeting on Tuesday: almost every speaker--and there were a lot of them--focused on the hazards of crossing a street or standing on a sidewalk.

Two major trouble spots they pointed out are Beverley Road at E. 2nd Street (speeding cars and a crash-prone intersection) and the entire stretch of Albemarle Road from Ocean Parkway to McDonald Avenue (also speeding cars and multiple crash-prone intersections).

Just last week, the driver of a Honda Civic, who is believed to have gone through the stop sign on E. 4th Street, crashed into an ambulette on Albemarle Road, knocking it on its side, trapping its patient inside for twenty minutes, and causing it to hit a parked SUV. The hurst tool ("jaws of life") was used to extricate the patient from the vehicle. The ambulette passenger and two other people were taken to a hospital. Residents say that the crash on Albemarle prior to this one involved seven vehicles. 

Meanwhile, Eva, mother of the owner (Benny) of the recently-opened Beverley Pizza and Cafe on E. 2nd Street at Beverley Road, was struck when a car on Beverley turned right onto E. 2nd too quickly and hit a parked car, which hit another, which hit another, and so on. One of the parked cars ended up on the sidewalk where Eva was standing, not far from the pizzeria. Eva, walking with the assistance of a cane, spoke at the community board meeting.

Fairly recently, the Department of Transportation (DOT) did traffic studies on these long-problematic locations and determined that no traffic-calming measures were needed. Our City Councilmember, Brad Lander, has asked DOT to study Albemarle again, and the agency has agreed to do it in July.